


Friendship

by LivesToLead



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Arguing, Nott wants everyone to get along, Tension, mad at each other, talking it out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-04-01 05:55:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13991898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LivesToLead/pseuds/LivesToLead
Summary: I wrote this after the ninth episode.Honestly though I love how Caleb and Jester resolved their little spiff in the new episode better than anything I could ever write.But if you want a different take on it.Here it is!





	Friendship

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like this despite the new episode!

The image of Caleb smearing mud across his face and walking away stays on replay in Jesters mind. 

She was emotional, a lot had just happened in the span of a few minutes, so no one could really blame her for what she had said. Though Jester was sure it might’ve been a bit insensitive, but she didn’t mean it like that, didn’t Caleb know she was going through a rough time too?

Jester skips so she’s side by side with the dirty man. “Hey Caleb.” She smiles when he looks over at her, he merely lets out a grunt for a response. “Sorry you didn’t get to go to your smut shop.” Her voice is sincere as they continue to walk. 

“It’s fine, I’ll find a way in eventually.” Caleb grumbles as his walking speeds up just a tad, Jester keeps up.

“Well you could always buy some nice clothes and get in easy peasy.” Jester suggests with a bright smile and lifted shoulders, Caleb stops walking to look at her.

“I would, but I don’t waste my money like a spoiled child.” The anger and irritation is clear in his voice and it makes Jester hold her breath. 

Caleb had never spoken to her like that before, it wasn’t hate or anything  _ that _ bad, he didn’t even yell, but it felt like he had slapped her. She wasn’t going to cry, but she did take her hands and began to roughly wring them together, Jester looks down at the ground. Caleb sighs and Jester moves out of the way when he walks by, she looks up to watch him walk away and angrily sticks out her tongue. 

A day passes, Jester and Caleb keep a comfortable distance, nothing that’s noticeable and yet Nott still finds herself looking between the two every now and again. Caleb was like an older brother to her and Jester was, in her eyes, her first best friend. So when two of the most important people in her life started acting weird, she couldn’t help but notice.

“Jester.” Nott tugs on the sleeve of the blue tieflings dress.

She bends down and smiles at Nott. “Nott, what’s going on my buddy.” Nott smiles a bit, but it was soon replaced with a frown. “Hey what’s wrong?” Jesters smile form into a matching frown. 

“Are you upset at Caleb?” Jester purses her lips at the question, Nott waits as Jester thinks of a response. 

“Yes, and no. It’s more of Caleb being upset with me? But I am also sorta angry at him.” Jester explains, Nott’s face morphs into confusion.

“I-I don’t understand.” She tilts her head. “What happened?” Nott asks, her fingers suddenly twitchy.  

“Nothing you should worry about.” Jester reassures as she smiles at her friend. “I’m sure we’ll resolve it soon.” Nott nods, though her face still unsure as she walks away to go hold Caleb’s hand. 

Jester lets out a little sigh. She was going to have to fix this. 

They were all off doing their own thing, Jester was with Nott for a little while before the rest of their group caught up with them. Nott immediately went into a panic when she noticed Caleb wasn’t there and started talking about how squishy and fragile he was. The rest of the group reassured Nott that he was fine, they said that he wanted to go find a peaceful place to read. Nott was going to go after him, but Jester volunteered to go find him and left before the goblin girl could say or do anything. 

It wasn’t hard to find him, just ask if anyone had seen an extremely dirty looking man with mud smeared all over his face, and boom she was directed towards the edge of town. She found him sitting on a small hill reading a book, she was silent as she crossed her legs and sat down next to him. He gives her a quick side eye before going back to reading, she smiles out at the distance appreciating the view and how bright the sun was.

“It really is such a beautiful day.” Jester says, she continues to look at the horizon rocking back and forth a bit. 

Caleb looks up for a brief moment before turning a page in his book. “I suppose so.” 

“Ya know, it’s kinda really rude to ignore people when your hanging out together.” Jester speaks after a moment of silence and watches as Caleb sighs and sets his book to the side. 

“Well I did not ask for your company, so why are you here if I’m being so rude?” The same agitation from a couple of days a go is back, but Jester refuses to submit this time and stays put. The two stare at each other for a long moment before Caleb looks around her his eyes widen in realization. “Where’s Nott? You didn’t leave her alone did you?” Agitation is replaced with slight panic.

“No of course not!” Jester waves away his worries. “No, she’s with everyone else, I just came looking for you.” She makes sure to shoot him her most dazzling smile, trying and failing to diffuse some tension between them. She’s met with his slightly annoyed face. 

“I don’t even know why I let you watch her if your just going to leave her.” Caleb mumbles under his breath as he goes to pick up his book, but stops when Jester yells. 

“That’s it!” She stands up angrily. “I’m a good friend Caleb! And I am very insulted that you would even say a thing like that.” Jester punctuates her sentence by crossing her arms.

Caleb stares at her for a moment before slowly standing up, not taking his eye’s off of her, she stands her ground. 

“A good friend.” Caleb says simply and nods his head a bit, looking around at the ground. “Yes a very good friend, I open up to you and you all but spit in face saying how my parents entire life earnings were merely pocket change to you.” There’s venom in his voice and Jester uncrosses her arms, but doesn’t back down. “Yes, a very good friend.” He nods in mock agreement. 

Jester is silent for a moment, she rubs at her eyes as she feels tears begin to well up, she ignores them.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Jester makes sure her voice is strong as she stands firm. “I know we haven’t known each other that long, but I would never say something to make you so angry with me on purpose.”She rubs at her eyes again, her face turning stoic. “It’s just, the only time I saw my mother was when she would bring me allowance. To me she was showing me love when she gave me money. She is the most wonderful mother and I love her and I know she loves me, so when she didn’t send any money-” Jester’s voice hitches a bit and her shoulders begin to hunch as she feels a few tears spill. “And then I saw the traveler-” Caleb watches defenselessly as Jester begins to sob and hiccup through her story. “And you were so angry-” Another sob racks through her body

Caleb move without thinking and envelopes her into a big hug, he holds her tight as he begins to smooth over her hair, trying to soothe her sobs. He can feel her tears seeping through his shirt, her body trembling as her sobs become silent tears. Her arms tucked in tight between them, she sniffles a little, but doesn’t pull away letting Caleb hold her. 

“Ya know, you really need to wash your clothes Caleb.” She lets out a watery laugh, he lets himself laugh a little too. 

“Yes, especially now that it’s covered in your snot and tears.” He jokes and that makes Jester laugh a bit. 

Caleb can feel her smile against his chest. “I’ve never had, like, a real dad before, someone to give me hugs and make me feel better when I was sad.” Jester begins to explain as Caleb rests his head on top of her horns. “I guess this is what this is what it’s supposed to be like.” She nuzzles her head into his chest a bit more despite the smell. 

Caleb simply hums as they stand there for a bit, he slowly sways them back and forth, Jester shifts in his hold a bit so she can look up at him.

“I want to say I’m sorry for what I said, it was kind of insensitive.” Jester looks up at Caleb hopefully, there’s streaks running down her face, but the tears have stopped. 

“It was, but I’m not going to hold it against you.” Caleb looks at her sympathetically. “I understand, and I would like to apologize to you also, for my rude behavior and for not taking your feelings into consideration.” He gives her a small smile.

“Oh good! Cause if you weren’t going to apologize I was going to revoke mine.” She says very matter of factly as the two pull away from their hug, she gives her face one last wipe down.

Caleb snorts. “Then how were you planning on getting my apology?” 

“I have my ways.” Her bright smile is back as she wags her finger at him teasingly. 

“That and I don’t think Nott would let us be angry at each other for much longer.” Caleb says jokingly. 

The two begin to walk towards the town the air around them now cleared.

“Oh!” Jester stops them abruptly. “Does this mean I get to call you Daddy Caleb now?” She smiles up at him.

He laughs. “Absolutely not.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this!  
> Comments and Kudos appreciated!


End file.
